Lady Demons sweep Liberal

Wednesday

May 8, 2013 at 3:30 AMMay 8, 2013 at 3:39 AM

Tieben wins twice on mound, bats blaze against Liberal pitching

By John CurtisDodge City Daily Globe

Freshman Matti Tieben opened up her season as a junior varsity pitcher, but was quickly moved up to varsity after she recorded a no-hitter in her first game. It hasn't been an easy time for Tieben, but she threw perhaps her best game of the season in helping the Lady Demons beat Liberal 7-1 in the first game of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader at Legends Park.The Lady Demons completed the sweep with a 16-8 victory in the nightcap. Tieben gave up four hits and walked two in her seven innings of work. She struck out three and was never really challenged by the Lady Redskins during her time on the mound in the first game.Kennedy Burks reached base all four times she went to the plate in the first game. She was officially 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a RBI single in the sixth. Alexis Sanchez was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Sydney Benish and Brooklyn Garcia knocked in two runs on the day. Dodge City took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by Garcia, followed by a RBI triple by Alex Stecklein. Benish hit a RBI single in the third; and Riley Lopp had a RBI triple in the fifth to make the score 5-0. Liberal got its only run of the opener on a RBI single by Stephanie Sanchez; but the Lady Demons answered with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on Burks' single that was followed on a RBI groundout hit by Benish. The Lady Demons (3-15, 2-6) opened up the second game with five runs in the first and second innings to build a 10-2 lead over the Lady Redskins (6-10, 0-8).The first inning saw Alexis Sanchez hit a double, Lauren Oldham followed with a run scoring fielders choice, and Garcia hit a three-run inside the park home run for the Dodge City runs.After Stephanie Sanchez and Riley Hay knocked in runs for Liberal in the top of the second, Benish hit a two-run single and she, Stecklein and Alexis Sanchez scored on wild pitches.A thunderstorm in the middle of the third delayed the game for more than an hour and Liberal was able to take advantage of the lost Lady Demon momentum with three runs in the top of the fourth: Stephanie Sanchez hit a RBI double, Hay hit a RBI single and Amanda Love scored on a wild pitch. All of the runs were charged to Tieben.The Lady Demons were able to get four back in the bottom of the fourth. Becca Bartel and Riley Lopp hit RBI singles after Garcia scored on a wild pitch. Lopp later scored on an error.Liberal made the score 14-8 in the top of the fifth. The Lady Redskins scored their two runs off one reliever before Becca Bartel came in and shut down the Liberal bats.Dodge City scored its final runs in the bottom of the sixth on a triple by Alexis Sanchez followed by a sacrifice fly by Oldham.Tieben was the winning pitcher, while Bartel pitched three innings to get the save.The Lady Demons close out their home schedule Thursday in a makeup doubleheader against Elkhart. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.